Underscores Benefits of Channel Expansion and Project 11

On Tuesday, October 22, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met for its regular monthly meeting. Chairman Ric Campo began the meeting by commending staff and industry for their efforts during and following the October 1 to 3 strike, tied to contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). Port Houston’s container operations recovered and returned to normal within a week, despite predictions of longer-lasting impacts reported by the national media.

“I am incredibly proud of the team for their dedication throughout this time. There was a lot of uncertainty, and the team worked together to plan, communicate, and then execute our plans to get us back up and running quickly and normally,” said Campo.

Updates regarding the Houston Ship Channel Expansion – Project 11 – included the completion of its fifth contract, on budget and six weeks ahead of schedule. Looking ahead, Weeks Marine is scheduled to finish hydraulic dredging in Segment 1B (Redfish to Bayport) during November, which will provide a completely widened ship channel through Galveston Bay to the Bayport Ship Channel.

Further underscoring the importance of Project 11, an operations update highlighted the group’s recent handling of its largest container vessel to date. With the support of the Houston Pilots, the 11,356 TEU CMA CGM Cassiopeia arrived at Bayport on September 24, with 7,327 moves completed over two days – nearly 31 moves per hour. This significant milestone is expected to lead to 15,000 TEU vessel calls at Houston later this year.

During his report to the Port Commission, Chief Executive Officer Charlie Jenkins described Port Houston’s testimony at a recent meeting of the Texas House Transportation Committee, which provided an opportunity to review state funding from the last legislative session, the return on the state’s investment, and the status of current projects. Port Houston was awarded $36 million from the Texas Department of Transportation Maritime Infrastructure Program for Wharfs 4 and 5 project at Barbours Cut Terminal. The project is well underway and on schedule to finish in January of 2026. “The bottom line is that when the State of Texas invests in our seaports, we deliver,” said Jenkins.

On the sustainability front, Port Houston celebrated receipt of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association’s 2024 Port Award. Port Houston was recognized for being proactive in protecting the health of our seas, especially with its work on Project 11, commitment to ES2G, and overall stewardship practices.

During the meeting, the Port Commission continued this leadership, authorizing a contract for the purchase of twenty clean-diesel tier-4 engine yard tractors for Barbours Cut Terminal and Bayport Container Terminal.

Chairman Campo also reported on a recent successful community hiring fair in partnership with SER Jobs, Harris County Precinct 2, and the East End Chamber of Commerce. The event was widely attended by business and industry partners and job seekers, along with Port Houston staff volunteers. “This is an important aspect of the work we do – I always say it’s about jobs,” said Campo.

Last week, Port Houston announced that based on a recent employee survey it had been officially certified by Great Place to Work®. The award recognizes employers who create a positive employee experience.

Looking ahead, Port Houston will host the Houston International Maritime Conference (HIMC 2024) on November 6-8, 2024. The third annual event will feature noteworthy industry leaders and dynamic discussions on state of the ship channel, energy, container and general cargo international waterborne trades and their economic impact, workforce development, marine terminal operations, sustainability and more.

During the holiday season, Port Houston will also host a free Community Resource Fair on December 6 at Channelview High School’s CTE Center. The event offers the public free health screenings, food resources, entertainment, and more, and no registration is required.

The Port Commission meets next on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. This meeting will serve as the annual budget meeting and workshop.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE